Car-placing attachment for power-excavators.



EATENTED` APR. 19, 1994.

y No. 757,449.

- E. H. GEORGE, JE. Y GAE PLAGING ATTACHMENT EOE POWER EXGAVATOES.

APPLIOATION IILED JULY 7, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

Tm: Noiuus PsYeRs cov. monru'tldq. wAsNmoToN. n cy UNITED. STATES Patented April 19, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

HENRY GEORGE, J R., OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

CAR-PLACING ATTACHMENT FOR POWER-EXCAVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,449, iatof. Apri 19, 1904. Application filed July 7, 1903. Serial No. 164,597. (No modela To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. GEORGE, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Placing Attachments for Power-Excavators, of which the following is a specification.

In excavating-work in which a power-excavator is used it is customary to use a locomotive to place or spot the cars into which the excavated material is dumped.f This requires, in addition to the locomotive, an engineer and a fireman, and it renders the operation of placing the cars quite expensive.

The present invention relates to an attachment to the excavator by means of which the cars may be spotted without the use of a locomotive. The attachment comprises an additional engine, which is supported upon a bracket at the side of the car and provided with a winding-drum and a rope connected with said drum, which ymay be connected to the cars in various ways to move them.

The invention will be described in detail in connection with the accompanying drawing, which shows in plan view an excavating machine provided with the present improvement and a series of cars to be loaded.

Referring to the drawing, A indicates an excavating-machine of any ordinary form, having a power-operated boom or crane l, carrying an excavating dipper or bucket 2. The excavator A is mounted on a platform which is provided with the usual car-trucks for runningon a track 3 or with suitable traction-wheels. It is usually provided with a housing for the machinery similar to a carbody; but such housing has been omitted in the accompanying illustration for clearness.

Adjacent to the excavator are one or more tracks 4c, which are usually of narrow gage and on which the dump-cars 5 travel. These cars are successively loaded by 4the shovel 2, and they must be placed successively under thedumping-place of the shovel for this purpose. This placing or spotting has heretofore been effected by the use of a locomotive, which must be constantly in attendance, as the cars are rapidly filled.

In carrying out my invention I provide the excavator with a laterally-projecting bracket or support 6 or withtwo such supports on opposite sides of the car. As shown, there are two supports, one 'being in horizontal or operative position, while the 'other isshown in its inoperative or vertical position in full lines and in the horizontal position .in dotted lines. These supports are hinged to the carplatform, and when out of operation they form part of the sides of the car and are practically doors to close openings in the sides of the car.

I provide the car-platform with transverse rails or supports 7, upon which the spottingengine 8 rests, as shownin dotted lines. These rails may be stationary on the car; but I prefer to have them movable longitudinally and to shift them partially onto the bracket -to assist in supporting the spotting-engine when the latter is in use, as shown in the drawing. When thus used, the inner ends of the rails 7 are suitably secured to the-platform or cartimbers, and they form auxiliary brackets. This engine may be moved along or with the guides or rails 7 and onto either of the extensions or brackets 6. When located on one of said brackets, it is suitably bolted or connected thereto, and the bracket is preferably braced by diagonal horizontal braces 9, connecting it with the car-platform, and upright braces 10, connecting it with the top of the car-body. It is also, preferably, supported by one or more props or jacks arranged beneath. In other words, the bracket 6 is to be suitably braced when in use to withstand the strains put upon it, and the engine 8 is to be suitably connected with the bracket. The engine 8 turnsa winding-drum 1l, which carries a rope 12. Means are provided for attaching the rope to any one of the dump-cars 5. The

spotting-engine, as shown, is supplied with steam through a flexible steam-hose 13 from a boiler 14, which supplies power for the shovel. Any other motive power-such as Ycompressed air, hydrocarbon, or electricity-may obviously be used for both the excavator and the Spotting-engine.

My invention may be operated by connecting the rope 12 to the rear car of the train of IOO cars, and the engine is then operated intermittently to spot the several cars under the dumping place of the shovel. When the rear car comes abreast or nearly abreast of the spotting-engine, the rope 12 may be disconnected from the car and then passed around the pulley-block 15, Which is suitably anchored, and again connected to the car. This will enable the engineer to spot the last cars in the train. The rope may be passed through the pulley-block in the iirst instance and all the cars thus spotted Without making any change. By locating pulley-blocks, such as 15, at'different points any desired movement of the dump-cars can be effected by means of the spotting-engine. VFor instance, by means of a suitably-placed block the dump-cars when loaded may be drawn .onto a siding, from which they may be taken by a locomotive. As heretofore stated, When the spotting-engine is not in use or When it is desired to transport the excavator the spotting-engine is moved into the housing of the excavator and the brackets 6 are folded up to form parts of the sides of said housing. i

In some instances the spotting-engine might be immovably connected With the supportingplatform of the excavator. It is to be noted that the spotting-engine is entirely independent of the other machinery of the excavator and is used solely for the purposes described.` In other Words, it is an additionv or attachment to the excavator novv in common use, its object being to supplant the usual shiftinglocomotive by a less expensive stationary englne.

By the use of this invention the expense of excavating is very much reduced, the spotting-engine being much cheaper than a locomotive and requiring but one man to operate it. Asit forms a permanent part of the excavator, it may be transported from place to place without additional cost, Whereas the expense of transporting a narrow-gage locomotive is considerable.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. rIhe combination With a power-excavator scribing Witnesses.

and its sustaining-car, of a bracket extending laterally from the side of the car, and aV spotting engine removably supported on said bracket, said car being adapted to receive the engine When removed from the bracket.

2. The combination With a power-excavator and its sustaining-car, of an engine support or bracket hinged to the side of the car and adapted to be folded into vertical position When not in use,and`a spotting-engine adapted to be supported on said bracket.

3. The combination with apoWer-excavator and its sustaining-car, of abracket or support extending laterally from the side of the car, braces connecting said support with the earbody, and a spotting-engine normally located on the car and movable on the said bracket, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination With an excavator and its sustaining-car, of a supportor bracket extending laterally from said car, a track for dump-cars adjacent to said bracket, a pulleyblock anchored adjacent to said track, a spotting-engine supported by said bracket, and a rope connected with said engine and adapted `to be passed through said pulley-block and connected to said dump-cars.

5. The combination with an excavator and its sustaining-car, of transverse guides or rails on said car, a bracket extending laterally from the car and a spotting-engine supported on said guides or rails and movable thereon to said bracket, for the purpose-set forth.

6. The combination with an excavator, and f its sustaining-car, of transverse guides or rails movably mounted on said car, a bracket extending laterally'from the car and a 'spotting-A engine supported on -said guides or rails and movable thereon to said-bracket, -said rails being also partially movable onto said bracket to form an additional support for said engine, vfor the purpose set forth'. I

In testimony WhereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sub- HENRY H. GEORGE, J R. Witnesses: JAMES A. WATSON,

THOMAS DURANT. 

